During the 2012-13 school year, Hillsboro School District administrators disciplined students on 30 occasions for carrying weapons into school.

Many of the incidents involve knives with blades 2.5 inches or longer, but the log also includes a razor blade, electronic taser, airsoft guns and a ninja star. Most led to out-of-school suspensions; three were in-school suspensions and two resulted in expulsions.

Weapon incidents within Oregon schools gained public attention following the shooting last month at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, where a 15-year-old killed a fellow student then himself.

Afterward, The Oregonian published a story detailing weapon reports from nine Portland-area school districts. Data showed that violence in schools is rare. Portland was the only metro-area school district to have disciplined a student for bringing a gun to school, and 46 students were disciplined statewide for possessing firearms.

Casey Waletich, director of safety and operations, said he isn't surprised by Hillsboro's 30 incidents in 2012-13, which amount to less than 1 percent of the district's more than 21,000 students.

"I think every circumstance is a little different," he said. "A lot of factors contribute to a student bringing a weapon."

Administrators found weapons at 14 of Hillsboro's 33 schools, including six elementaries and all four middle and high schools. Waletich said students or staff typically report seeing or knowing about weapons.

Hillsboro's policy on weapons in schools includes definitions for dangerous and deadly weapons, firearms and destructive devices. Dangerous weapons, the policy states, are devices, instruments, materials, or substances, which -- under the circumstances they are used -- are capable of causing death or serious physical injury.

Even if a student doesn't bring a weapon to school, Waletich said, many school supplies can be used as such.

"Potentially, there's a lot of things out there that people can use as a weapon," he said. "You can use a pencil as a weapon if you stab somebody with it."

Waletich said he sees no areas of concern in Hillsboro's most recent weapons report.